Page 114 of Pelvic Flaws

I nodded, remembering Lucy’s cousin Miranda from a Christmas party that Cherry had taken me to one year.

“Mrs. Henry is going to stop practicing for a while, until Savannah is settled in, and then she’ll return to work on a part-time basis.”

“They good people?”

I didn’t know what I hoped James would say to that. Good people would make my decision harder, bad people…well there’d be no way I’d let them take Savannah.

“Yes Dex, they are. We wouldn’t even be considering them if they weren’t. They’ve had all the checks done and had just been independently accepted for adoption before the situation with Savannah arose.”

“So this would be an easy process, if I were to agree to give up my rights?”

James nodded. “Fairly easy, depending on how Savannah adapts.”

“What if I want her?” I asked, the thought of taking her home with me scaring me, yet exciting me at the same time. “Do I need to go to court or something?”

James shook his head. “You’re named on her birth certificate, Dex, so you’ll automatically be Sole Managing Conservator.”

I frowned. “I wasn’t at the birth, I thought I had to be to go on the certificate.”

James held up a piece of paper and handed it to me. “Is that your signature?”

I studied the letter and nodded. “What does this mean – a declaration of paternity?”

“Exactly that. You signed to declare you were Savannah’s father.”

I opened my mouth to ask how could I, when I had no idea she existed, but James held up his hand.

“Dex, I’ve seen your daughter and it’s quite obvious she’s yours. I don’t want to know how her mother got you to sign this, but if you’re sure that it’s not forged and it’s most definitely your signature, then that’s fine with me.”

I looked at the huge pile of files on James’ desk and reckoned this was a minor detail in his already heavy workload.

“I just want what’s best for Savannah,” he said with a sigh. “And getting your signature in a nefarious manner won’t alter my decision. Now, we can take a DNA test if you’d like, but I also took the liberty of checking your blood type, and both you and Savannah are a B – Miss. Colby, I believe was type A.”

“I wasn’t doubting she’s mine, if that’s what Cherry said, then it’s true – the times fit. I just don’t want this,” I shook the paper at him, “coming back to bite me on the ass at a later date if I do decide to take custody of Savannah.”

“You have my word.”

I nodded and looked back at the letter, racking my brain as to when I might have signed it. It had to have been when we bumped into each other just before she died, but I definitely didn’t sign anything on that day. Then it struck me, about a year after I left, Cherry sent me some papers to sign. Apparently they were to take me off the health insurance that she got through work, and I had to admit, I didn’t read them, just signed where she’d stuck some labels. Shit, she really took a chance, but then again, Cherry knew what I was like about reading forms – I fucking didn’t.

“You’ll have sole responsibility for Savannah,” James continued. “If you decide you want custody and it’s what’s best for Savannah, then that will be the final decision. The courts in Texas are increasingly supportive of the rights of unwed fathers, so as long as you can prove you can financially and emotionally support Savannah, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“How long will all that take?” I asked, passing back the letter. “It’s just I have a business back home in the UK.”

Plus I had Katie and being away from her was harder than I’d expected it to be so soon into our relationship. I wanted us to work, real bad, and I was afraid not being around would give her time to rethink things – or give Carl time to get in there and put thoughts into her head.

“A month at most.”

James must have seen the way my mouth gaped in shock.

“But, like I said, you’re on the birth certificate. Lucy’s letter states she wants Savannah with you, and you’re financially stable, so as long as the visits go okay, and add in the fact that you need to be back in the UK, I think we can speed the process up.”

I nodded slowly and blew out a breath. “Okay, can we go see her today?”

James picked up the receiver of his desk phone. “Let me make some calls.”

As he dialed the number, nerves overtook me and suddenly I felt the need to puke.

Dex

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